(L to R) Wendy Dant Chesser, president and CEO of One Southern Indiana; Lisa Huber, government and community relations manager for Duke Energy; Jason Lopp, attorney and incoming chairman for 1si Investor Relations Committee and Misty McCammack, senior economic development manager for Duke Energy.

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (June 5, 2017) – Duke Energy announced today that One Southern Indiana (1si), the chamber of commerce and economic development organization for Clark and Floyd counties, Ind., is a recipient of a $20,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant to support the 1si Talent Development Initiative. The initiative creates WorkHub, a provider of workforce solutions using resources available.

1si’s strategy is to coordinate efforts already underway to “skill up” individuals in the current workforce. 1si Director of Talent Development and Skill UP! Partnerships Paul Holba will be working to coordinate the introduction of the Conexus/Hire Tech advanced curriculum to high schools in four school systems, connect more students to the Prosser Career Education Center to complete their MSSC-CPT certification and expand the partnership between WorkOne and Ivy Tech Community College to identify and train more adults for careers in advanced manufacturing.

1si will also work to provide an industry-recognized work and learn federal apprenticeship (Industrial Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship – IMTA) to individuals to skill up their abilities in advanced manufacturing. Holba is also working with school systems from Indiana and Kentucky to standardize soft skills certification.

In addition, 1si will lessen the gap between the skills needed by regional employers and their future employees by implementing a system of career pathways to support and enhance workers’ transitions from school to the workforce. These pathways are the foundation of the Ford Next Generation Learning model adopted by the Greater Clark County Schools system and the Jefferson County Public Schools system in Kentucky. The initiative will create results-driven coordination between these partners.

Duke Energy has long been a supporter of 1si and economic development efforts throughout the region. The Duke Energy Foundation actively works to strengthen the quality of life in the communities it serves and believes the workforce needed by businesses and industries to be successful can be created through workforce development initiatives like WorkHub.

According to Duke Energy Government and Community Relations Manager Lisa Huber, “Duke Energy believes One Southern Indiana’s talent development initiative is vital to help existing businesses grow and to attract new companies to the area. This coordinated effort between educators and employers will help develop strategies to build the talent pipeline in our region.” She went on to say she is proud Duke Energy supports high-performing, sustainable programs and initiatives that contribute to Duke’s goal of building a diverse workforce of the future.

Wendy Dant Chesser, president and CEO of 1si, thanked the Duke Energy Foundation for support of the initiative, saying, “The Duke Energy Foundation has been supporting the communities it serves for many years. Its proactive stance on overcoming obstacles that can keep communities from growing and thriving is admirable, and the investment it has made in workforce/talent development in the Southern Indiana/Metro Louisville region is greatly appreciated.”

For more information on the 1si Talent Development Initiative and Workhub, visit www.1si.org/workhub.